Wrap-holder.



B. F. RILEY, 1n.

WRAP HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZS. 1917.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

BENJAMIN F. RILEY, JR, or THOMSON, GEORGIA.

WRAP-HOLDER.

Application filed May 25, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. RILEY, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Thomson, in the county of McDuffie and State ofGeorgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrap-Holders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to chairs, and more especially to attachments tothe back of theater and opera chairs; and the purpose of the same is toproduce a wrap holder which will comprise a hanger pivotally mountednear the upper end of the chair back and a pair of presser wingspivotally mounted below the hanger and at about the center of the heightof the back of the chair, so that a spectator sitting in a chair in therow behind may dispose his or her wraps over the device to hold themsecurely in place and out of the way of others who may pass to and froas sometimes occurs.

The invention consists primarily in the specific construction of thehanger and its pivots, so that when not in use it lies close against thecurve of the chair back, but it is capable of being raised to receivethe wrap and thereafter it falls or springs downward to hold the wrapsclosely against said back. The invention also contemplates the use of avariety of wings mounted on sprin -hinges, all as hereinafter more fullydescri ed and claimed and as shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is arear elevation of an opera seat equipped with my invention, the wrapholder being here shown in use; and Fig. 2 is a similar elevation withthe wrap removed and the parts of the wrap holder opened out ready forits reception, the wings in this instance being of a slightly modifiedform.

Fi 3 is a similar rear elevation with a yet irther modified form of thewings, and in this view the hanger lies close against the seat-back. v

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the back, showin the hangerhugging the same on account 0 its shape and the peculiar disposition ofits pivots; and Fi 5 is a perspective detail of one of the pivots.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of a slightly amplified form of win the viewbeing a section throu h the bac and a plan of the two wings in differentpositions.

The back B of an ordinary theater or opera chair usually curvessomewhat, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 171,003.

this curvature is shown rather exaggerated in Fig. .4. The arms areindicated at A and the supports at S as between the chairs, and theedges of the back curve forward toward the arm and support structureswhich unite them with the next-adjacent chair back--theref0re there ismore space between the next row of seats in the rear and that portion ofthe chair back B adjacent the next chair, than there is immediatelybehind the transverse center of the chair back. The space I propose to.occupy with the pivots of the elements of my im roved wrap holder, sothat said pivots or hinges will be entirely out of the way of personspassing to and fro between the rows of seats. The backs of opera chairswhen in use usually incline somewhat to the rear at their upper ends,and the result is that when wraps are hung on hangers disposed near saidupper ends, they hang vertically therefrom practically or nearly againstthe knees of the owner and are often brushed aside and sometimesdislodged by persons passing to and fro. One purpose of the presentinvention is to hold said wraps close against the back B both at theupper and lower ends of the back, in order to reduce the size of thestorage space needed and to amplify the space between seats for thepassage of persons to and fro as suggested. This purpose is mainlyaccomplished by utilizing two elements, one being a hanger near the topof the seat and the other being a pair of prcsser wings farther down,all as described below. These several elements are connected or hingedto the seat back in the channels near the adjacent seats, and theirhinges or supports are such that when the wrap holder is not in use itsseveral parts lie close against the seat back and entirely out of theway. The parts of this device are by preference entirely of metal, andthe rods or heavy wires may be japanned or nickled so that they shallpresent a neat appearance. Details further than as set forth below arenot essential.

One element of my device is the hanger. This is a rod or heavy wire 1lying across the back B near its upper end and bent to the rear as bestseen in Fig. 4 to conform with the curvature of said back. Each end ofits bent body is bent upward as at 2 and then inward into a trunnion 3,and the trunnions are mounted in eyes or bearings 4 in knobs or studs 5which are secured to hanger 1 is raised from the position there shown tothe position shown in Fig. 2, it 1s put under some tension as'thetrunnlons revolve in their hearings on axes which are out of alinement.lVhen the wire body 1 isreleased it not only drops by its weight, but itsprings as it were against the back B and lies close in contacttherewith when not in use. If, however, a garment such as a coat C hasbeen hung over the wire when it was raised, when it is released it bothsupports the garment and holds it close against the back. Therefore theparticular disposition of the supports for this hanger wire serves auseful function whether the hanger is idle or in use.

The other element of my invention is a pair of wings, so called, broadlydesignated by the numeral 10. Each is of wire bent into a substantiallyrectangular or framelike shape, and the extremities of the wire areturned inward at 11 and made to serve as the pintles of spring hinges 12which are secured to the chair-back B by appropriate means. The springdesignated at 13 is coiled around the pintle and bears on the arms ofthe wing, so that the body of the latter is thrown normally against theseat back in amanner which will be clear. I do not wish to be limited tothe type of spring hinge employed, but it is obvious that the hinge liesin the channel adjacent the next chair and is out of the way for thatreason, while the body of the wing lies over the curved portion of theback B and occupies very little space. When not in use it lies strictlyin contact with said back. When in use, it is sprung outward and thegarment C laid behind it and then the wing is released so that itpresses the garment close against the chair back as seen in' Fig. 1. Twoof these wings are employed in any event, and they may be ofconsiderable size as seen in Fig. 1, the hinges may connect the outersides of the frames at low points of the frame or high points thereon asseen at the right of Fig. 2, or there might, in fact, be two pair ofwings as illustrated in Fig. 3, and in that case each frame would ofcourse be smaller. The principal purpose of this element of my inventionis to press the lower portion of the garment inward against the seatback. rather than permit it to hang vertically from the hanger wire 1.

A wrap holder of this character can be manufactured and sold at anextremely low cost, and applied to any ordinary opera chair by amechanic who need not necessarily be skilled. The wire of which thehanger is made will be to an extent resilient, but doubtless will not behighly tempered, and therefore also it will beto an extent pliable. Inthat caseit should be given an appropriate curvature at the time it isapplied, so that it will lie close against the backB when there is nogarment upon it as seen in Fig. 4. In attaching the studs 5 to the seatback, care should be taken that their bearings 4 are strictly inalinement with the inturned trunnions 3 at a time when the center 1 ofthe hanger lies against the back; and if so attached, the hanger willtake care of itself later.

In Fig. 6 is shown a cross section through the chair-back, and a plan ofa slightly amplified or modified form of the presser element or wing 10,that at the left being closed against the back and that at the rightmoved slightly away from the same to receive a hanging article ofclothing. The wire of which this element or wing is here composed isgiven a slight angle or bend at 10', with the result that when in closedposition its tip lies close against a rounded back B, and when openedout to receive a garment its outer portion beyond said angle lies closeupon the garment, so that in either position it does not project intothe passage way in rear of the seat and would not therefore interferewith passing to and fro as abovedescribed.

What is claimed as new is 1. The combination with a chair whose back istransversely curved; of a garment hanger comprising a wire having itsends bent upward and then inward into trunnions directed toward eachother but deflected slightly toward the center of said wire, andbearings secured to the chair-back and whose axes incline slightlydownward to correspond with the position of said trunnions.

2. The combination with a chair whose back is transversely curved; of agarment hanger comprising a wire bent to conform with the curvature ofthe chair-back and having its ends bent upward and then inward intotrunnions directed toward each other but deflected slightly toward thecenter of said wire, and studs secured to the chair-back and havingbearings for the trunnions whose axes incline slightly to correspondwith the position of said trunnions.

3. In a wrap holder for opera chairs whose backs are transverselycurved, the combination with a pair of studs attached to the rear faceof said back near its side edges and having bearings through them, and ahanger having trunnions at its extremities rotatably mounted in saidbearings; of a pair of wings disposed below said hanger, andspring-hinges connecting the wings with the rear face of said back nearits edges; all as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a wrap holder for opera chairs Whose backs are transverselycurved, the combination with a hanger near the top of the back, andsupports for its extremities secured to the rear face of such back atthe sides of the same; of a presser element at the lower portion of saidback, and supports therefor attached to the rear face of.

back near the sides of the same, the supports holding the tip of saidelement in contact with said back when the device is not in use.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BENJAMIN F. RILEY, JR.

